Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 7, Chartered Professional Accountants Act.

Bill 7 is part of a national effort to unify three separate organizations responsible for regulating and managing professionals authorized in Canada to work as professional accountants. The national unification framework created a new national body, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, or CPA Canada.

The purpose of the bill is to merge the three professional accounting bodies currently operating in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, following the lead of the three related national accounting bodies that merged in 2013. Bill 7 will repeal three exhibiting NWT statutes and replace them with a single, new Chartered Professional Accountants Act. This bill is being coordinated with legislation in Nunavut to allow members of the newly emerged body, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Northwest Territories/Nunavut, known as CPA NWT/NU, to operate as one in both territories.

Reporting of this bill was deferred during our last May sitting, when our law clerk brought to the attention of the committee a concern shared by the law clerk in Nunavut, that clause 2 of bill 7 raises a significant legal matter. As drafted, the bill [microphone turned off.]